Amphetamine use in America's workforce
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Amphetamine use in America's workforce
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Re: Amphetamine use in America's workforce
#2ADHD basically means the behavioral symptoms of dopamine dysregulation. A similar thing is happening with serotonin, where people complain of subclinical (or clinical) symptoms of depression and anxiety. Why are our bodies finding homeostatis of neurotransmitters so difficult? Diet? Culture? Sleep? Constant overstimulating media? Drugs? All of them?
Re: Amphetamine use in America's workforce
#3So glad that as I was growing up, my ADHD tendencies were seen more as just an individual issue I'd have to learn to control myself rather than a physiological condition in need of medication. Granted, in my street-wise years I've found stimulants and I get along really, really well, but there's a nagging feeling that I simply don't want to be on amphetamines daily. It might turn my writing into delusional drivel like Ayn Rand, a noted speed addict for decades.
Re: Amphetamine use in America's workforce
#4ADHD basically means the behavioral symptoms of dopamine dysregulation. A similar thing is happening with serotonin, where people complain of subclinical (or clinical) symptoms of depression and anxiety. Why are our bodies finding homeostatis of neurotransmitters so difficult? Diet? Culture? Sleep? Constant overstimulating media? Drugs? All of them?
All of them, and also it's more complicated than depression === serotonin dysregulation.
Re: Amphetamine use in America's workforce
#5So glad that as I was growing up, my ADHD tendencies were seen more as just an individual issue I'd have to learn to control myself rather than a physiological condition in need of medication. Granted, in my street-wise years I've found stimulants and I get along really, really well, but there's a nagging feeling that I simply don't want to be on amphetamines daily. It might turn my writing into delusional drivel lik…
> It might turn my writing into delusional drivel like Ayn Rand, a noted speed addict for decades.
Or maybe your writing would start to look like the work of genius Paul Erdős, a noted speed addict for decades.
Re: Amphetamine use in America's workforce
#6So glad that as I was growing up, my ADHD tendencies were seen more as just an individual issue I'd have to learn to control myself rather than a physiological condition in need of medication. Granted, in my street-wise years I've found stimulants and I get along really, really well, but there's a nagging feeling that I simply don't want to be on amphetamines daily. It might turn my writing into delusional drivel lik…
> It might turn my writing into delusional drivel like Ayn Rand, a noted speed addict for decades. Or maybe your writing would start to look like the work of genius Paul Erdős, a noted speed addict for decades.
Or maybe you'll finally get around to writing in the first place :)
Re: Amphetamine use in America's workforce
#7ADHD basically means the behavioral symptoms of dopamine dysregulation. A similar thing is happening with serotonin, where people complain of subclinical (or clinical) symptoms of depression and anxiety. Why are our bodies finding homeostatis of neurotransmitters so difficult? Diet? Culture? Sleep? Constant overstimulating media? Drugs? All of them?
All of them, and also it's more complicated than depression === serotonin dysregulation.
Indeed. Anxiety pretty much == serotonin dysregulation. Depression could be inflammation, mindset, low brain serotonin, low noradrenaline, low dopamine, all of the above, or something else. Low brain serotonin would be a cause.
Re: Amphetamine use in America's workforce
#8ADHD basically means the behavioral symptoms of dopamine dysregulation. A similar thing is happening with serotonin, where people complain of subclinical (or clinical) symptoms of depression and anxiety. Why are our bodies finding homeostatis of neurotransmitters so difficult? Diet? Culture? Sleep? Constant overstimulating media? Drugs? All of them?
Why do you assume it has ever been any different? Rate of serotonine production for example is coded in two genes.
Don't forget that it's not necessarily an evolutionary disadvantage to be slightly depressed or anxious, because you tend to avoid risks. Same with low motivation and an easily distracted mind which can help to conserve energy by finding ways of avoiding tasks.
Re: Amphetamine use in America's workforce
#9I think this is a little bit sensationalized at the very least. This excerpt in particular caught me off guard.
"Abuse by young professionals is distressingly common—Wall Street traders, software engineers, dentists, nurses, and lawyers, all cracked out of their minds trying to keep up with the competition."
Yes, I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, and yes I have an Adderall prescription. But I'd hardly call myself cracked out on drugs. I think the biggest issue is when people self-diagnose and self-medicate because they are more likely to take dosages that aren't suited for themselves, but that issue exists for many prescription drugs. This piece seems heavily biased towards scare tactics, so I am not inclined to take it terribly seriously.
Re: Amphetamine use in America's workforce
#10ADHD basically means the behavioral symptoms of dopamine dysregulation. A similar thing is happening with serotonin, where people complain of subclinical (or clinical) symptoms of depression and anxiety. Why are our bodies finding homeostatis of neurotransmitters so difficult? Diet? Culture? Sleep? Constant overstimulating media? Drugs? All of them?
Why do you assume it has ever been any different? Rate of serotonine production for example is coded in two genes. Don't forget that it's not necessarily an evolutionary disadvantage to be slightly depressed or anxious, because you tend to avoid risks. Same with low motivation and an easily distracted mind which can help to conserve energy by finding ways of avoiding tasks.
I guess my use of finding suggests I assume it is different. I am not sure it is. I think a lot of people in time past probably felt the exact same way. It is more that these conditions become a bottleneck to "quality of life" in modern times, now that survival is relatively trivial for most people.